Dancing Gnome is brewing a collaboration beer with Starship Mantis

ABV is our weekly series that highlights a different beer from a local Pittsburgh brewery every week. Check out our past picks here. 

The second-to-last Starship Mantis show will be marked with a once-in-a-lifetime collaboration beer from Dancing Gnome.

On Saturday, Jan 4, you’re invited to join Very Local, along with our partners – Epicast, Black Forge and Dancing Gnome – to celebrate the musical career of Starship Mantis. Our intergalactic costume party – New Year / New Galaxy – will be at Black Forge (in McKees Rocks) and tickets are available here.

‘New Year / New Galaxy’ Gets its Own Beer

And what better way to mark this once-in-a-decade night than with a once-in-a-lifetime collaboration beer.

If you’re a fan of beer, read on for a look at what you can expect to drink at New Year / New Galaxy.

The Dancing Gnome team graciously welcomed us into their collaboration brew day with members of Starship Mantis. Their collaborative cream ale – Intergalactic Love – takes its name from a Starship Mantis song that can be found on their album, Trapped in the 9th Dimension.

A once-in-a-decade party, New Year / New Galaxy will also feature special guests DJ Femi, and Trio+ featuring Shad Ali.

Get to know Starship Mantis – Pittsburgh’s funk / jazz fusion band

For folks unfamiliar with Starship Mantis, their unique blend of funk, jazz and hip hop results in upbeat, high energy shows. They have toured nationally and internationally and played at several music festivals, including Some Kind of Jam, WaterFire Festival, and Feastival. Their live performances are marked by “the pageantry of Parliament Funkadelic” which adds flair and stage presence to their one-of-a-kind music.

Starship’s debut, full length album – “Trapped In the 9th Dimension” was released in May 2018.

The band plans to call it a career at ‘End of Transmission’ (in February 2020).

ABV, volume XLVII

Intergalactic Love – available on January 4 at Dancing Gnome and at New Year / New Galaxy

Beer Name: Intergalactic Love

Style / ABV: Cream Ale, 4% ABV

Why we recommend it: It goes without saying, we’re suckers for thoughtful collaboration. And this collab is no different.

Per Mike Dunlay at Dancing Gnome, Intergalactic Love is a “straw-colored cream ale that registers a bit clearer than a traditional Dancing Gnome hazy IPA.”

You can expect Intergalactic Love to be super drinkable; it carries similarities to traditional lagers in both gravity and feel.

Per Beni Rossman, bass player for Starship Mantis: “The [low] ABV is good for the band. [We] are able to drink it on stage, have more than one, enjoy it, and still perform.”

How did this beer come about: Like any good collaboration, the journey to Intergalactic Love actually started as a passion project. Mike and the Dancing Gnome team, along with their good friend Buzzy Torek of Epicast, found themselves frequently listening to Black Hole Radio AM/FM – the most recent Starship Mantis release – when the album dropped earlier this summer.

When Buzzy and the Dancing Gnome guys realized that their opportunities to see the band live were coming to an end, they got to work on putting the pieces together for a fun beer x music collaboration. Within about a week, they had a concept lined up for an event and a celebratory collaboration beer.

When is it available: Intergalactic Love will be available on Saturday, Jan 4. Members of Starship Mantis are expected to be at Dancing Gnome for the formal unveiling of their collaboration beer at the brewery that afternoon. Later that night, Starship Mantis will perform at New Year / New Galaxy where the beer will be available for all attendees.

How is it served: On draft and in cans at the Dancing Gnome taproom and in cans at the party.

Where is it available: First at Dancing Gnome Beer (Sharpsburg) and later that evening at our event – New Year / New Galaxy – in McKees Rocks.